


Destiny of the Leopard

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Religion - Freeform, M/M, Reincarnation, bucky is a priestess, post Bucky's cryo, soul mates in every lifetime, steve is a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 05:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10937637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: While Bucky sleeps, his soul dreams of lives long past, and a time long ago.





	Destiny of the Leopard

**Author's Note:**

> Massive thanks to Chiyume for the beta and for helping birth this idea, and to Roh for the handholding.

_The Transmigration of Souls: the belief that, after death, the soul is reborn into another body, human or animal_

Bucky shifted slightly in his sleep as he lay in bed, spooned around Steve. They were still relearning each other after so long apart, but some things never changed, and despite Steve's larger size he still fit perfectly in Bucky's arms. 

Bucky shifted again, this time more violently, and Steve blinked awake, turning to shake him. 

“Buck,” he whispered softly. “Wake up, you're dreaming.”

Bucky’s eyes flew open and he clutched at Steve. “Wha…?”

“That must have been some dream. What was it about?”

Bucky shrugged, yawning. “I don't know. I was somewhere hot? I think? And there was a lion, maybe? Or someone with a lion’s head? I don't know. It was kinda jumbled.”

“Someone with a lion’s head?” Steve said with a laugh. “You gotta stop eating cheese before bed, Buck.”

“Yeah, probably.” Bucky tightened his arm around Steve who snuggled down back into position. “Sorry I woke you.”

“It's fine. Go back to sleep,” Steve said, linking their fingers together where they lay on his stomach. 

Bucky’s eyes closed, as his soul travelled back over the ages, back, back, through the millennia, back to where it all began. 

***

_2876 BC_

The young priestess, whose soul would would someday be born into the body of a young man who would go through unspeakable torture, sat by the river outside the temple, sunning herself. One of the temple cats, the small grey-and-blue striped, padded out to where she sat, eyeing her warily. 

This particular cat had only recently been brought to the temple, and was still a kitten. The young priestess held out her hand, and the kitten gave it a disdainful sniff before butting her head against the priestess’s hand with a chirrup. 

The young priestess, who had been given the name Meskhenet, which means “destiny”, hid a smile. She scratched the kitten behind the ears, and the kitten purred, arching her back. 

“Now you are only small,” Meskhenet said softly, “but soon, young Nebit, you will be fully grown, and perhaps you will be blessed with kittens of your own.”

Nebit, who did not look at all like a leopard as her name would suggest, chirruped again, rubbing herself against Meskhenet’s side, before wandering off back towards the temple. 

***

That evening, after the lamps had been lit, Meskhenet put on her ritual red dress and perfumed her wrists and neck. She applied her makeup carefully, for tonight was the ritual of protection for the people of the town. The other priestesses chattered quietly in excited tones; for some of the younger ones it was their first ritual. For Meskhenet, at fifteen, it was the tenth. 

One of the others, Khepri, sat down next to her, nudging their shoulders together. 

“Have you seen the new kitten?” Khepri asked. 

Meskhenet nodded. “She came out to me as I sat by the river.”

Khepri looked surprised. “Really? Some of us tried to entice her with the choicest pieces of fish earlier, but she merely hissed at us and showed her claws.”

“She is only a kitten,” Meskhenet said, laughing. “She will be getting used to the place, and her priestesses.”

“Or perhaps she has chosen you above all others? It may be that you will have a special relationship with her.”

“Hmm, perhaps.” Meskhenet shrugged. It happened sometimes, although never before to her, and she wondered. 

At that moment the bells rang from within the main body of the temple, and the priestesses hastened inside. The high priestess stood at the altar, the skin of a lioness around her shoulders, the lioness’s head atop hers. The lioness had not been killed, for that would have been sacrilege against the goddess; she had been found dead outside the town, and many saw it as a gift from the goddess herself for their rituals to her. 

As the ritual began, Meskhenet could feel herself falling into a trance-like state as she swayed to the beat of the drums. Suddenly, she felt something wind around her legs; when she looked down, she saw the kitten, Nebit, rubbing against her ankles. She picked Nebit up, and the kitten snuggled into her breast, purring softly as the priestesses began to chant. 

_Great and powerful Bast, daughter of the sun god_  
Hear our entreaties, hear our prayer  
Protect your people, protect the town of Bubastis  
Hear our entreaties, hear our prayer 

The priestesses began to dance, and Meskhenet held Nebit close to her as she moved to the rhythm, faster and faster as the dance became more frantic. The curtains billowed around them as they danced, until finally they all collapsed to their knees, exhausted. 

The drum beat slowed, as they chanted their prayer again. The high priestess poured some perfume onto the ground and all the priestesses bowed low, their heads almost touching the floor beneath them. Nebit chirruped curiously from her position against Meskhenet's chest, and she scratched gently behind the kitten’s ear. 

The ritual over, the priestesses stood. Meskhenet tried to put Nebit down on the floor, but she clung on to Meskhenet's dress with her claws, giving Meskhenet a determined look. 

The high priestess approached her, no longer wearing her lioness skin. 

“I see you were blessed by the goddess during our ritual,” she said, smiling down at the furry ball in Meskhenet's arms. 

Meskhenet nodded. “She seems very attached to me,” she replied. 

The high priestess nodded. “You must take special care of this little one. She has obviously chosen you out of all the others to serve her, and I know you will serve her well.”

Nebit pawed gently at Meskhenet's chest, and she held the kitten close to her heart. She would serve this kitten well, and although none of the cats in the temple ever wanted for anything, she would make sure that Nebit especially would thrive. 

***

Bucky awoke the next morning refreshed. If he had dreamed again, he didn't remember it. 

Steve shifted slightly in his sleep, pawing gently at Bucky's chest, and Bucky had a brief flash of recognition--but then he yawned wide, and the moment was gone. He looked at the time; still too early to get up, so he wrapped his arms around his Steve and fell back asleep, lulled into slumber by Steve's deep breathing.


End file.
